Spend some time learning keyboard shortcuts and automation for common software
Most people who are used to Word still click the toolbar icons. In experiments that compared groups, shortcuts were faster than both menus and icons. Learning this once is a one-time cost, and every action after that, every day, pays it back. The longer you do the same kind of work, the more you get back.
There is no monetary cost. However, it requires a one-time…
Research involving 251 experienced Word users revealed that most rarely utilize faster shortcuts, continuing t…
There is no monetary cost. However, it requires a one-time investment of several to dozens of hours to learn. The initial learning phase can actually be slower than using a mouse.
Research involving 251 experienced Word users revealed that most rarely utilize faster shortcuts, continuing to rely on toolbar icons. Controlled experiments confirmed that shortcuts are indeed the quickest method among menus, icons, and shortcuts themselves. The time saved accumulates gradually with each daily use. Those who perform similar tasks over extended periods gain the most from this practice.
Lane, D. M., Napier, H. A., Peres, S. C., & Sándor, A. (2005). Hidden costs of graphical user interfaces: Failure to make the transition from menus and icon toolbars to keyboard shortcuts. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327590ijhc1802_1
Open source linkLearn only operations you use 10 or more times a day. Learning the whole set is another kind of waste. Also, that efficiency experiment had only 6 participants, and the summary did not give the seconds saved per operation.